Saturday, April 4, 2009

Art

Last weekend here in Ann Arbor we had a treat. The University of Michigan Museum of Art reopened after a long hiatus. The new addition and several new collections were unveiled. Bill and I, along with lots of other arty people in the area took it all in. If you are ever in the area, stop by. It is quite the place, if I do say so myself. It is in the league of other large, cosmopolitan museums I have visited. For more, and better photos, go to Red Shoes blog. We must have missed each other in the crowd. She took a photo of my favorite painting there - the Picasso Portrait of a Girl. Here is another favorite - Monet's The Break-up of the Ice.They had a fascinating exhibit of late 20th century and 21st century architectural models of museums and museum additions. You know, Art housing Art. There was a scale model of the Getty and several in Japan that I was not familiar with. There was also a scale model of UMMA's new addition.

Bill has some work in the museum ; ) Yes, he and several other University cabinet makers did the new reception desk and the conference rooms. It is lovely.

I saw something in the gift shop that caught my eye. Pantone color # 337 captured forever in porcelain in a coffee mug. The tag on the mug says Pantone 337 c is known by several names - duck egg, powder, butterfly, and retro. If you are not familiar with Pantone - basically it is a color system/guide/language so craftspeople and artists can communicate better with each other. You tell your printer you need Pantone 337 on your brochure instead of describing it sort of like.... "soft blue green like a robins egg, but not so green as teal", etc., etc. Shorthand for color artists. I have a catalog of over 24000 color swatches than for no other reason than I like to look at it.

This also reminds me of a favorite scene in an old Cary Grant movie - Mr. Blanding Builds His Dream House. Myrna Loy is describing paint colors to her house painter. Classic. Rent it. Click HEREto see it.So, my head full of art and other lofty aspirations, we walked to Borders from the museum. This is what we came across.It is a car metamorphosed into a tree, or is it the other way around? Notice it is parked in a no parking zone. That is SO Ann Arbor.

Hi Laurie - my hubby and I just did the DIA yesterday. . now we need to do the U of M museum too! Love the tree/car! Heading to AA tonight. We volunteer at the Ark and Mr. B is doing his thing. Hope you are having a great day! amy

The first thing I thought of, when I read your description of that blue color was Myrna Loy. I love that scene. I never knew about the Pantone color guide, but after reading this, sounds logical (a woman must have thought of it LOL).